Hidden Figures, a film with a strong cast and empowering message for females, is a definite must-see. The film was released on Christmas Day, and it surely was a grand gift to us all. The movie sheds light on the under-appreciated work of three African-American women and the discrimination they faced because of their gender and race.

Hidden Figures follows the personal lives and careers of three friends working for NASA in 1961, a time when racial discrimination was very prevalent in the United States. Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) are three colored women who begin their work in the West Computing Group of NASA. Shortly after the film begins, the women receive individual assignments at NASA and go their separate ways. Johnson becomes the first woman of color to work on calculating the launching and landing of John Glenn’s Friendship 7. Jackson works among the best engineers at NASA and struggles to become one herself. Vaughan is loaded with work and plagued with the fear of her group being eliminated due to new computer technologies. The film continues to follow their progress and struggles in their new positions.

Hidden Figures receives five out of five stars from me. I walked into the theater expecting the film to be amazing and it did not disappoint. The film’s powerful message is universal and can still be applied today. It is an inspirational film that should be seen by all.